NY Leads Way On Free Tuition, Is Healthcare Next?

Will the state attempt a single payer system?

New York State has just made it possible for residents who want to go to college do so tuition free. And while there is a cap on how much parents can make, it is a huge step in the right direction. Given that the chance of a federally funded tuition free proposal is now nowhere in sight, it is a win for the residents of the state.

What is next on the agenda? If Democrats have their way universal healthcare, aka a single-payer system, will be on the table. Given the GOP debacle trying to repeal the Affordable Health Care Act, many sense that it is time for a real push at a single payer system. As a result of the recent debate and attention focused on our healthcare system, Americans are paying attention and in a state that has a Democratic majority, it may be an opportunity that can’t be passed up.

While the ACA has helped to provide coverage for many that don’t have it, there is still so many parts of the system that is broken. According to The Guardian,

A widening income gap, paired with insurance companies’ increasing tendency to push health costs on to consumers, has resulted in a “regressive” system in which the richest 1% of Americans can now expect to live up to 15 years longer than the poorest 1%.

It’s time to really figure a way to make sure every American has access to excellent healthcare, it is not a privilege it is a right.